diff --git a/format.c b/format.c
index 4fe1e924..a1165de6 100644
--- a/format.c
+++ b/format.c
@@ -490,7 +490,7 @@ format_expand_time(struct format_tree *ft, const char *fmt, time_t t)
 char *
 format_expand(struct format_tree *ft, const char *fmt)
 {
-	char		*buf, *tmp;
+	char		*buf, *tmp, *cmd;
 	const char	*ptr, *s;
 	size_t		 off, len, n, slen;
 	int     	 ch, brackets;
@@ -530,10 +530,14 @@ format_expand(struct format_tree *ft, const char *fmt)
 			tmp = xmalloc(n + 1);
 			memcpy(tmp, fmt, n);
 			tmp[n] = '\0';
+			cmd = format_expand(ft, tmp);
 
-			s = format_job_get(ft, tmp);
+			s = format_job_get(ft, cmd);
 			slen = strlen(s);
 
+			free(cmd);
+			free(tmp);
+
 			while (len - off < slen + 1) {
 				buf = xreallocarray(buf, 2, len);
 				len *= 2;